ESPN and Gov. Christie sure are making a big deal about the Nets moving to Brooklyn, wondering if their fans will still support them. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t.
I get why Christie would be upset, because it’s revenue for the state. Beyond that, what’s the big deal? The current arena is in the middle of nothing, there isn’t a thriving small business economy that will be left in the dust around the arena, the only thing immediately near the arena is parking lot, Giants Stadium, and landfill.
And for fans, the team is literally moving across a river, that’s it. Only the arbitrary reality that it happens to be another state makes this even a story. It’s the same fan base, this just makes it bigger. This isn’t a move from Ebbets Field to Los Angeles, or Seattle to OKC. This is just a bridge ride away. The Giants and Jets play in New Jersey, do NY fans reject the team because they have to cross state lines to see a game?
If the team was moving hours away, I would understand some sort of outcry. But this move? I don’t get why anyone would be upset. It’s not even like they are moving from southern New Jersey to NYC. Teams have made bigger moves to find better areas for their arena, but since they didn’t change states there was no talk of the fan base jumping ship. If people don’t care about the Nets its because they still suck, not because they are leaving New Jersey.
